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W. HL' MASTERS.

SOLAR CAMERA.

No.`59,917. Patented Nov. 20, 1866.

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y W. `H. MASTERS, OF PRINCETON, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 59,917, dated November 20, 1866.

SPECIFEOATIN. TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, W. H. MAsTnRs,`of Princeton, Bureau county, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Solar Cameras; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, in whichf- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of this invention, partly in section. l

Figure 2'is a longitudinal vertical section ofthe same, the line :u x, g. 3, indilaiting the plane of section. v i

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by thevline y y, 'g. '2.

Similar letters of' reference indicate like parts.

.This invention relates to a solar camera for printing photographic "pictures,r andifor othcrpurposes, which is provided with suitable gear whereby the same can be set to corres mnd to the- .positionot ythe sun at any moment, so that the full benet of the s'unsrays is obtained, and clear and distinctlpictures can be lproduced in a comparatively short time. A conical shield close behind the chnt'lensing lens infthe mouth of the upper chamberof the camera box, in combination with a diaphragm in front of the small-lens, preveiits the rays-of light from being concentrated on; any portion of thewood-work, and thereby the box' fisrendered comparativelyitire-prooti ,The lower or printingcharnber is supplied with cleats-on tl1e-upper and lower sides,^which form the guides for thepaperscrcen, and keep the same in place wliile the.printingisfgoing,on,

.and the negative-holder is composed of three distinctiframes, whichallow of adjusting the megative. iny the proper vfocus with the greatest easekand facility. Y i

A represents a stand made of wood-,oranyother suitablematerial, from which rise two'uprights, B,.w.l1ic l1 are held in position by a brace, C. The upper .ends lof the uprghts B form; the hearingstbr-a; screw rod, a, which passes through ears or branches,b', secured to the under surface ot'a disk, c. =This disk isyheld :fin an inclined position by means of a screw, d, passing through an arm, which projects from its periphery, and/it is provided with "c'ogs .extending partially,or wholly round its circumference. Disk c is to be put into position with its plane parallel to the equator, and pivot f parallel to the poles of the earth, ahd, in the saine lati`tudc,''hever needs readjusting after once being put into position'. Thus, if the camera is adj usted for 'use atrthe equator, the

disk c is required to be in a perpendicular position at the poles the position wouldnecessarily-'lie horizontal; and at any intermediate latitude the disk c is inclined in proportion to theedegree of latitude where used. For instance, at New Orleans, a latitude of 30, the inclination of the disk will be 30, while at St. Paul, a latitude of 45, the inclination will be 45 from perpendicular, the degree of latitude always indicating' thedegree of inclination of the disk. Therefore it is only in reference to the degree of latitude of the locality where used that the diskc ever requires to be readjusted. l1 do not confine myself tothe above gearing for the rotary motion, as the piniong may be secured tothe disk, and plate e be supplied with cogs, instead of the disk c. On the disk c rests a plate, e, which is connected with the same by a central pivot or polar axis, f, and is made to revolve by the action of a pinion, g, which gea-rs in the coge of the disk c. ,Said pinion is mounted on a shaft, h, which has its bearings in a cage, i, secured to the plato e, and a hand-wheel, f, serves to impart to it the, required rotary motion. lFrom the plate e rise two lugs or ears, j, which form the bearings for the pivot k, that supports the boXvD, as shown in figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, said box being provided with a suitable bracket, l, t` rough the ears of which the pivot k passes, so that the box D is free to swing up and down in a vertical plane. In order to adjust the box in the desired inclination, a segmental arm, m, extends from the plate e, the edge of which is provided with cogs which gear in an endless screw, n. This screw has its bearings in a lug, o, on the inner surface of thelower box or printing chamber, and in a plate, p*, at its bottom, and it is provided with a head, 0*, so that said screw can be turned conveniently in either direction. By the action of the pinion g, and disk c, the box D can bel revolved in an equatorial plane; and by the screw n, and segmental arm m, it can be moved-in a vertical plane, and its position can thus be adjusted with the greatest ease' and convenience. The box D is divided in two compartments, p q. Theb compartment p, which forms the printing chamber, and which is somewhat larger than the compartment q, is provided with strips, r, on top and bottom which form the guides' for the paper shield, s. The compartment q contains the lenses i u, one at or near its mouth,iand the other at some distance from the first, as clearly shown in figs. 2 and 3. The large lens, t, serves to'collect the rays of the sun, and to concentrate the same in the axis or central part of the small lens, u, by Which they are spread on the paper, which is fastened on the shield s. In order to prevent the rays or any portion of them from being concentrated on some portion of the Wood-Work, and to set tire to the same, I have applied a conical shield, v, close behind the large lens t, and a diaphragm w, of metal or other suitable non-combustible material, close in front of the small lens u, the shield v being so shaped that it prevents any of the rays from going'astray. Between the two lenses t and u is the negative-holder E, which is composed of three distinct frames, a b c. The .frame a is secured to a slide al, which straddles the tcp ofthe compartment g, which is provided with a set-screw d that serves to fasten the same in any desired position, and also to move it up and down in the direction of the longitudinal axis ot' the box D. The frame b is fitted into dove-tailed guide-Ways in the frame a', and it is -so arranged that itcan be moved in a transverse direction; and the frame c is fitted into dove-tailed guide-Ways in the frame b, and the direction in which it can be moved is up and down, Aand at right angles to the direction in Which the frame I1 moves. Suitable trictioinsin'ings, attached to the edges of the frames b c', keep the same in the desired position. The negative is secured to the frame e', and bythe constant action of the three frames, a b c', said negative can be readily adjusted in the proper position in relation to the lenses t u. By this arrangement I ani enabled to print clear and distinct pictures ot different size from negatives, and the operation of my box is so simple that it can be readily understood by persons of ordinary mechanical skill, since, when the instrunient is adjusted according to the declination of the sun, and the disk c gives the plate e a rotary motion corresponding with that ot' the earth, the box .may be made to follow the path of the sun during the printing by a single motion obtained by pinion g, after having adjusted the vertical motion by endless screw n, at the beginning ot' each day.

To put thc camera in position, the operator has only to level the stand With the cross till pointing east and west, raise or lower the inclination of -tlie disk c by means of the screw-rod until the desired inclination is obtained, bringing its plane parallel to the equator, and when thus adjusted pivot f is always parallel to the poles of the earth;A thus We have a correct basis for the rotary motion Then the instrument may be adjusted in its vert-ical movement by means of the endless screw n, acting upon the segmental arm m, Without disturbing the position ot the disk c and pivot f; and when properly adjusted according to the above directions the box D is niade to point to the s un at any day in the year, or any hour of the day. Then, by rotating the camera by means of the hand-wheel, the camera may be made to follow the path of the sun correctly all day, no matter what. the. inclination of the sun may be to the earths plane, and lby turning the endless screw each morning a very little, the vertical adjustment is secured for the day; thusthe sun may befollowed for a roar without interrnpting'the position of disk c and pivot f, as before stated.

VlnitI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The shielding conc r, and diaphragm w, between the lenses t u, Substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

W. H. MASTERS.

Witnesses:

Guo. W'. Haren, (l. RAwssN. 

